Whew... long week

Back to Deeside last Sunday, and a new set of things to deal with. After the problems we had at the first game, we took our own PA equipment to work in tandem with Deesides - at least thats how I understood it. I am not a Hardware Guy, quite emphatically so. Which may sound odd when I can (and did for a short while) build PCs for a living, but to be honest, if I pick up a soldering iron by the cold end 7 times out of 10, I count that as a win.

(I will, at some point, blow something up on the desk. Its a natural gift.)

We had a proper hour worth of soundcheck (well, it was supposed to be an hour, someone let the fans in 10 mins early so we had to hit "play" in a rush) and the camera guys were providing footage for www.icehockeyleague.tv. So we had Jon in a cherry picker... which he didn't know about... Steve in between the penalty boxes plus extra boxes and cables. And the radio mic didn't work for reasons unknown, so I was on a handheld. Which was a bonus, actually, because instead of Richard fading the radio mic in and out, he simply set the level and I would switch myself on or off. Instead of having to sync to each other, he could rely on me to come in and out according to the music - one less point where things can go wrong.

Lessons this week? Its very easy to focus on the immediate vicinity and not keep an eye on the entire team. Demonstrated most effectively when Jon had a problem during the first period, and we didn't spot it. Neil did, from his side of the rink and was frantically trying to phone us - except Revs phone didn't have a signal and mine was switched off in my bag.

I believe that we have a proper comms system (headsets or walkie talkies) waiting for the Ice Dome, so that will help.

On the plus side, the sound was nice and clear, Fishcake was invaluable help, we got to explore the odder parts of the playlist (Bomb The Bass' 80s classic "Megablast" got an airing, which will send Amiga owners of a certain age into nostalgic reverie), the game was won and the crowd were loud. Can't wait to see what 2,500 are capable of, because the 500+ in on Sunday made some real noise.

Or as we cal them now, the "Phoenix Faithful". I've always thought we needed a name for the fans to congregate under, like Sheffield have the (Manson) Family. "The Faithful" sums it all up rather well and as a nice touch, the fans who are able to make it to the games on the Long Road Home are recognised by a special patch, worn by the players and given to the fans. It is an important thing to recognise the people who have given this team its purpose and to build that relationship between the players and the people who support them. It is very easy to go "we've got a team and a rink, you don't matter anymore except as consumers" but that would betray everything that everyone has worked for.

Which is why I reacted so angrily to comments on the Forum this week. To be blunt, I'm tired of the whingers. I'm really quite tired of people who sit back and sneer from the sidelines. They could be tolerated, and in some cases listened to, prior to the team taking to the ice. But right now, one voice who doesn't come to the games is not worth as much as the 500 voices who do. It is as harsh and as simple as that.

Will the Phoenix Faithful patch cause some people to think they are a "better" fan that someone who, say, wants to come but can't until we get to Altrincham? Yes.

Is that the clubs fault? No.

End of discussion. And I know, and I'll put frickin' money on it, that some of the people who complain about feeling "left out" would be the first to lord it over other fans. (And others who feel "left out" are precisely the sort of person who would stand in the kitchen at a party as an ostentatious display of apathy.) Of course that doesn't apply to every specific person who complains about it, but look me in the eye and tell me that, generally, I'm wrong.

That doesn't give anybody the right to complain when the Club does do something to recognise the people spending time and money travelling to Deeside and Ice Sheffield. I'm sorry, but I just don't see the twisted logic is saying that the Club shouldn't show its appreciation.

"Easy for you to say, Mike. You're an insider now. You're one of 'them'."

Anyone who has spent any time with me knows I'm a headstrong so and so. And the idea that I suddenly compromise everything I believe in for a shot at glory behind an announcers microphone or a website had better work harder at judging character.

Because I've built bigger websites, and I've done bigger gigs. The only difference is that this gig, and this clubs website is something I love doing. The only glory I'm interested in is the deep satisfaction of doing something I love about something I love.

So if I get defensive and angry on occasion, then tough.